The Ocean's Gold
by Esmaier
Summary: Kasamatsu Yukio thinks that, sometimes, the world is against him. Or maybe the basketball gods, he's not sure. / Fem!Kise. One-shot, un-beta'd.


Character(s)/Pairing(s): Kaijou, some Seirin, a mention of Aomine and Haizaki, Kasamatsu/Kise

Words: 2,413

* * *

Kasamatsu Yukio thinks that, sometimes, the world is against him. Or maybe the basketball gods, he's not sure.

He's made captain of Kaijou High Basketball team at the end of his second year, despite being the reason behind their loss at the last Interhigh preliminaries, and with the coach's promotion, he's torn between pride and horror. Just the same, he resolves to lead Kaijou High to victory, even if it's the last thing he does.

* * *

Just when he thinks things cannot possibly get any worse, his third and final year of high school begins. Before the club officially starts up again, Coach reveals that Kaijou High has secured a member of the famed Generation of Miracles. Who are all girls. Crazy talented and basketball fanatics, but girls all the same. Kasamatsu is terrible with girls, yet another thing the world has cursed him with. An inability to talk to women.

So when Kise Ryouta flutters into the gym that the basketball club claims as its own on the first day of club activities, practically oozing sparkles, Kasamatsu isn't surprised. Resigned, yes, because really, of all the Miracles, it figures he ends up with the impossibly pretty one.

* * *

Kasamatsu soon learns the Kise herself isn't the real struggle, which is a welcome surprise. Despite her initial introduction— in her overwhelming display of shining hair, shimmering make up, and manicured nails— when it comes to actual basketball, Kasamatsu discovers that no matter how much she downplays her title as a part of the Generation of Miracles, Kise is every bit the monster on the court as the magazine, articles, and rumors have been screaming for the past two years.

No, the problem lies with otherpeople. Namely, the masses of students, not even exclusively Kaijou High students, that follow Kise everywhere she goes and revere every word and giggle that fall from her subtly colored lips. One would think the majority of Kise's fans would be male, and oh, don't get Kasamatsu wrong, there are plenty of male fans, but the Kaijou basketball team can more than handle them, but Kise also has a vast following of female fans who idolize the basketball ace, and when it comes to girls, the team is mostly useless. Moriyama is ever distracted with the constant flow of girls hovering around the gym, Hayawaka becomes even more rambunctious than usual, if that's possible, and, again, Kasamats _isn't good with girls._ Kise initially finds amusement in the chaos her fans bring, making a few attempts to set her teammates up with her fans, but she rapidly grows annoyed with the distractions to the team practices, not that she would ever show it, and kindly begs her fans to leave the team in relative peace while they practice, so that they may improve themselves to bring pride to their school. To Kasamatsu's immense relief, the hordes readily agree and disperse with a flurry of "goodluck"s and "kyaa"ing as Kise pleads to them with wide eyes, clasping her hands just under her chin, the picture of perfection.

* * *

It's a subtle thing, but Kaijou increases their training, putting in efforts no one else comments on. For the returning regulars, it's a matter of revenge, and with the new regulars carrying the sentiments of their seniors, Kaijou blows through Interhigh Preliminaries like it's nothing. Despite it being the first hurdle, Kasamatsu finds a new sense of drive as well as accomplishment. For the first time in a while, he begins finding hope in basketball again.

* * *

Interhigh is in his face before he's really sure he's ready. When Kise comes to fetch him just before the match, Kasamatsu confides to Kise his admittedly selfish reasoning behind placing this match against Touou as one of utmost importance. She only gazes down at Kasamatsu before turning away with something akin to a scoff, returning his words with her own reasons, namely being yet another one of the other worldly girls of the group that Kise thrives through, leaving him to watch the receding outline of her slim yet strong shoulders slouched in feigned ease.

"Well…I'll win, even if it kills me."

Kasamatsu can only smile, "I see."

Kaijou suffers a crushing defeat.

* * *

Kasamatsu isn't quite sure when it started, only realizing Kise now automatically tacks the honorific onto his name when she flies into his classroom during a lunch period some weeks later with a cry of "Kasamatsu-sennpppaaaaaiiii" and drapes herself across his desk, her pretty face much too close to his own for comfort, leaving a number of his classmates glaring at him in her wake. He gives her a resigned sigh which she takes as a cue to proceed and she immediately launches into a long-winded list of irrelevant reasons and pleas to pleaasseee accompany her to watch the match between Seirin and Shuutoku for participation in the Winter Cup, like he had often done in the lead up to Interhigh.

Though Kaijou has already secured their participation, Kasamatsu flatly refuses, determined to take the time to practice more individually to avoid any repeats of last year and of Interhigh, and when he mentions this and grumbles that she should do the same, she instantly pouts, warranting another round of glares from his classmates, whose eyes have been trained on Kise and Kasamatsu the entire time she's been in the room. Just when he thinks she's about to storm off, her demeanor changes and he reflexively looks away.

Kasamatsu keeps his gaze fixed firmly to the side, staring determinedly at the clock above the doorway despite her whines, able to perfectly picture her blinking pitifully up at him through impossibly long lashes with just a hint of shimmer on her eyelids, quite aware that many a man had fallen prey to that look, and answers again with a firm "no."

Realizing he refuses to allow the chance of cracking under her looks, she gives a final whimper, and after eliciting no response, pouts again and peels herself off of his desk, straightening her clothes and tossing styled curls over her shoulder before leaving his classroom to return to her own. As she disappears from sight, a collective sigh leaves the bodies of his classmates, one or two giving him a pitying look. He ignores this and attempts remembering what he was doing before Kise had stormed through and thoroughly captivated his attention—and, again, he can't remember when this sort of thing began.

* * *

Besides her disappearances to watch the matches of her former teammates, in the days preceding the Winter Cup, Kise matches Kasamatsu hour for hour in the gym, long after all the non-regulars leave. When she's like this, sweating through her practice clothes, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail with straggling hairs stuck to her face and neck, her breath only harsh gasps for air, Kasamatsu can barely connect the image in front of him to the Kise almost everyone else sees the rising model, with airbrush perfect skin and bright eyes highlighted with long eyeliner and shadows, that answers her fans with wide smiles and tinkling laughter. Personally, Kasamatsu much prefers the Kise who trains as hard as anyone he knows, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she slams a dunk over their heads, much to Hayawaka's never ending protests.

It's because he's so taken with the differences that it slips his mind to regulate her injury. And he regrets it.

She explains the situation of Haizaki to Kasamatsu patiently. He doesn't doubt her words, and he is instantly done with Haizaki the moment the boy calls to her with a mocking "Ryouta-chan," but when Kise is brought to her knees before Haizaki, there is a ripple of horror through the team. Then there is also the realization Kise is far from top form. No one knows how to react, Kise least of all.

When Kise is struck down for a second time, Kasamatsu catches Haizaki's words, and can only feel irritation flood him as the bastard stares down at her and sneers that she honestly should have known he only dated her to use her, and even with that, he was honestly doing her a favor.

Before Kasamatsu can say anything in return, there is a scream from Seirin's shadow, Kise's invisible old teammate, and Kise suddenly smiles. Not her pretty little smile that she gives to fans in thanks for their countless gifts and compliments, but a vicious smile that sends a cold shiver down Kasamatsu's spine. In an acidic tone, she responds with venomous calm that, quite honestly, Haizaki was only one of the countless and ordinary that flocked to her for her looks, and really, he should know that he will never be able to even kiss the ground before her feet. Before Haizaki can process what happens next, Kise is already moving, capturing the attention of the crowd as only she can with the seemingly impossible: Perfect Copy.

Even with Haizaki's last ditch foul play, Fukuda Sougou crumbles at her fingertips.

* * *

Kasamatsu's final Winter Cup match is one, despite his loss and the inevitable despair, he can accept. For him, there is no heart wrenching disappointment this time around, and for that he is grateful, and can truthfully relay his wishes to Seirin's captain. Hayakawa is distraught, as are Moriyama, Kobori, and the rest of the team, understandably. Then finally, there is their golden child. Kise, despite her initial face of strength, her playful expressions as she converses briefly with "Kagamicchi" and her beloved "Kurokocchi," and her honest lack of regrets, crumbles the moment Kasamatsu drapes her arm around his shoulders, hooks an arm around her, and gruffly tells her, in his own awkward way, that it's ok. As she sobs, the rest of the team encase the two as they walk away as a collective unit, comforting their crying ace, and each other.

* * *

With the end of Winter Cup, the third years officially retire from the club and turn their focus to their studies for university entrance examinations. Well, most. Kasamatsu finds himself spending quite a bit of time at the gym with the basketball team, though significantly less that he has in the past few years, seeing that he's been recruited to play basketball at the University of Tokyo. Kise mentions off handedly, once, when he's helping her perfect her plays that are ever improving, that she's not surprised; he is a nationally-reputed point guard after all, and he can't help but feel pleased.

* * *

Occasionally, the starting members gather, just for fun. Once, recalling Moriyama's request, Kise convinces a few of her fellow models to join her on a group date with her basketball team, a doomed attempt from the start, despite Kise's best efforts. It started off with a chance of survival, Kasamatsu thinks, but with the personalities that composed Kaijou's best, it rapidly rolls downhill. There is another moment of floundering hope when the girls bring up basketball, but really, basketball idiots are basketball idiots, and Kaijou's team this past year is a group of them bested by almost none.

Later, after a couple of quick games, after the former team realizes that the girls have been forgotten, and after Moriyama, Hayakawa, and Kobori leave, only Kise and Kasamatsu remaining on the streetball court, Kasamatsu drops his hand on Kise's golden head as her smile fades with the receding backs of their teammates. Kise doesn't move for a long moment, then suddenly turns to Kasamatsu tearfully, with a barrage of borderline hysterical exclamations that she wants the team to stay just how they are, she doesn't want anyone to leave, and she really _will_ bring Kaijou to victory.

He promptly pushes her down by the head, causing her to yelp in surprise, cutting off her tirade, then sits next to her on the cold ground of the court with a quiet, "I know."

* * *

It's after one of their one-on-one's in the last few weeks of school, after everyone has left the gym, like they really should have, when Kasamatsu is sitting at his desk at home, staring uncomprehendingly down at the brochures and information Todai sent him when he accepted their offer—it's not like he expects to be a starter right away, but the recruitment seems like a miracle within itself. It's after this, when his future is staring him in the face, that he comes to a realization, and honestly, it makes him want to laugh aloud at the irony of it all.

As he sets the papers down, he accepts the fact that he is, in fact, and probably has been, in love with Kise Ryouta.

* * *

On the day of graduation, all of the underclassmen of the basketball club show up to pay their last respects. The ceremony itself seems to pass in a blur; Kasamatsu vaguely remembers a number of disappointed female faces floating in his vision, and at the tail end of a number of goodbyes, Kasamatsu suddenly finds himself face to face with Kise.

She manages a small smile, though there are clearly tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. He silently appraises her for a moment—even while busy with his own interactions, he noticed her politely turning a number of his year-mates down with a soft, apologetic smile and a quick bow of her head— she's made up to picture perfection, as usual, but in a demure way, her hair pulled into a loose braid draped over one shoulder, and only the slightest hints of color tinting her face and nails. Before he can open his mouth to speak, he spots the flicker of her eyes to his uniform and catches the minute flinch. He grasps one of her hands with both of his as a flush creeps up the back of his neck and probably his face, pressing the missing button into her hand. "If you'll wait for me," he manages to mumble out, his eyes flickering to stare at a point just past her ear. For what Kasamatsu thinks is maybe the first time, Kise is struck speechless, dropping the button into cardigan pocket and grabbing his hands in hers again, her smile widening by a considerable margin even as thin lines of tears streaked down her face as she closed her eyes, bending her head forward to press her lips against their hands.

And Kasamatsu Yukio thinks that, just maybe, not _all_ of the gods are against him.

end.

* * *

A/N: I adore genderbends like no other. Don't get me wrong, I love them all how they are, but my ship preferences tend to change depending on the genderbend and I personally just really adore studies on how the dynamics between the characters could change.

Anywho, this particular one hit me like a brick while I was staring at my screen attempting to actually start writing a multi-chapter KNB fic I have all planned out. Personally, one-shots are a lot easier, but unless I'm mildly intimidated by the thought of throwing a 20k+ word fic into one comprehensive thing. I'm babbling, pardon me. Until next time, ne?


End file.
